Internalization of spiritual teachings Sheikh Ahmad Mutamakkin in the formulation of integrative sufi counseling
Abstract
This study aims to develop an integrative Sufi counseling model grounded in the teachings of Shaykh Ahmad Mutamakkin as a conceptual contribution to contemporary Islamic counseling. The urgency of this research stems from the need to incorporate local spiritual dimensions into modern mental health practices in response to increasing dehumanization and spiritual crises in urban societies. Employing a qualitative library research design, this study utilizes content analysis and hermeneutic approaches to examine primary sources, including the manuscript Arsyul Muwahhidin, historiographical accounts of Shaykh Mutamakkin, and relevant scholarly works, which are subsequently synthesized with classical Sufi thought and Islamic counseling theories. The findings indicate that Mutamakkin’s teachings are structured around seven core principles: the integration of shari‘ah and haqiqah, tazkiyat al-nafs, mujahadah–muhasabah, moral development, social harmony, local wisdom, and transcendental orientation. These principles are formulated into an integrative counseling model comprising four key components: a tawhid-based philosophical foundation, spiritually oriented therapeutic goals, the counselor’s role as a murshid, and intervention techniques emphasizing reflective practice and value internalization (riyadhah). This model offers a holistic counseling framework that not only addresses psychological distress but also facilitates enduring inner peace through spiritual closeness to God, thereby bridging the gap between Islamic psychology and contemporary clinical practice.
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